Nordic Walking is brisk walking with two special poles. The poles point diagonally backwards, are planted at each step roughly level with your foot, and by pushing off behind the body they engage not only the legs but also the shoulders, arms and trunk. So it is not a “stroll with sticks” but a full-value sport that a person of any age can manage.
What it looks like in practice
When you look at someone from a distance, you recognise it by the rhythm: right foot forward, left arm forward, and the pole clicks on the ground once with each step. The walk is smooth, the stride longer than usual and the arms move freely. You do not have to hurry, you set the pace yourself.
Where it came from
According to available descriptions it arose in Finland from the summer dry-land training of cross-country skiers with ski poles. According to Wikipedia the Finnish coach Mauri Repo described it as early as 1979 as part of the methodology of cross-country skiing. The first poles intended directly for fitness walking were made in 1988 by the American company Exerstrider, the Finnish company Exel introduced its own poles in 1997 and, according to the same source, spread the name “Nordic Walking” in 1999. The sources differ in detail, so we do not give an exact date of “invention”.
How it differs from walking with trekking poles
Nordic Walking has its own technique: the poles point diagonally backwards, the hand holds the handle at the push-off and then releases it into the strap. Trekking poles serve mainly as support and for stability, not for an active push. If you have seen people with poles in the mountains, they need not have been Nordic Walkers, and vice versa.
Who can do it
A person of any age can manage Nordic Walking. In an international study from 2025 the youngest walker was 18 and the oldest 94, the average was 55. More in the article Who walks with poles. You are neither too old nor too young for it.
Why we write about it
On this portal we take Nordic Walking seriously. What we know about it we base on studies and sources, and where we are not sure we say that we do not know yet. We are interested in how to walk with poles correctly, which poles to choose, what research says and where to find others who walk.
If you are just starting, have a look at the article How to start: the first week with poles. If you already walk, tell us in the forum how you came to it.
What to take away
Nordic Walking is walking with poles that involves the whole body, and you do not have to be an athlete to do it. Good news for beginners: the technique can be learned in a few walks and you set the pace yourself. There is no hurry, and nothing is spoiled if the first week is slow.
And you? Had you heard of Nordic Walking before you first saw it with your own eyes? Tell us in the forum who brought you to the poles, or whether you are still hesitating.
Sources
Text: Kompas.
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